Electric switch



c. w. HDOUBLER.

ELECTRIG SWITCH.

APPLICATION min-OCT. 17, 1919.

1,408,177. Patented Feb. 2s, 1922.

compact in UNITED STATES CHARLES W. HDOUBLER, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

pplcation filed October 17, 1919. Serial No. 331,450.

T o all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLns W. HDon- BLER, a citizen of the United States. and resident of Madison., in the county of Dane and State of Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements 'in Electric Switches, of which the kfollowing is a description, reference being had to the accom.- panying drawings, whichare a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in electric switches and refers more particularly to that type of switch commonly termed quick make and break. v

An object of this invention is to provide a quick make and break switch in which the making or breaking of the circuit will be quickly made in order to prevent the arcing atthe contacts as is customary when the make or break of a circuitfis comparatively slow and drawn out.

. Another object of this invention is to provide a quick make and break switch of the class described having ai movable contact carrying member which is manually moved a predetermined distance and then automatically moved with a quick snappy movement after said predetermined distance has been reached to make or break the circuit. y Y

A further object of the present invention is to provide a quick make and break switch of the class described which will have means for preventing the retrograde movement of the movable contact carrying member.

A still further object of the present -invenftion is to provide a quick make and break. switch-of the class described which will be structure, efficient. in operation and practical for the purposes desired;y

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in. the novel construction, combination land arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described andl more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims. In the 'accompanying drawing, I have illustrated one complete example ofV the vphysical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof,y and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a switch embodying my inventiointhe cover and operating handle being removed. Y

F1g. 2 is a sectional view taken through the switch on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and A Figp is a partly diagrammatic view of Athe movable Contact carrying member and the spring for automatically moving the same after it has been manually manipulated by. the switch operating handle, said parts being in the position hereinafter described.

Referring now more yparticularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral designates a base member of insulating material having an upstanding boss 6 on its top surface; 7, a cap or cover having its lower open end in snug engagement over the boss 6; 7 a cap of insulating material nested in the cover`7; 8, a pair of fixed contacts carried by the base 5;' and 9, a pair of movable contacts having means for operating the same to engage with the fixed contacts 8.

The base 5 has extending therethrough a passageway or opening 10 terminating adjacent the terminal securing screw 11 carried by each fixed contact 8 for the reception of suitable electrical wires (not shown). A centrally disposed annular recess or groove 12 is formed in the upper face of the base 5, defining anouter annular ring or rib Y13 and a central boss 14. The fixed contacts 8 have their inner ends extended beyond the inner edge of the annular rib13 so that an air space will completely surround the same.

The'movabie contacts 9 are carried by a star wheel 15, ofV insulating material and having a plurality of slightly rounded edges 16, the star wheel being mounted upon an enlarged portion17 of a shaft 18 rotatably mounted in the base 5. The shaft 18 has its lower portion journaled in a bearing' member 19 fixedin the base 5 and is secured in place by means of a round nut 20 Vsecured to the lower end of the shaft and seated in recess formed in the bearing member and a shoulder 21 formed on the shaft and abutting the top of the bearing member.

The star wheel 15 is permitteda limited rotary movement on the shaft 18, which movement is limited by means of a key or lug 22 projected laterally from the portion 17 and disposed in an elongated or widened keyway 23 formed in the central bore of the star wheel. As best shown in Figure 1, the shaft 18 has its upper end threaded forengagement in the threaded sleeve 24 of an operating knob 25 which projects into the covers 7 and 7 through an opening 26.

By this structure, when the operating knob 25 is rotated in a clockwise direction with reference to Figures l and 3, thelug or key 22 will engage against the end of the keyway 23 to the right and thus rotate or turn the star wheel 15 toward the bend 27 of a spring 28, to be later described, which engages slightly to the rear of the adjacent edge 16, when the star wheel will be automatically rotated further with a quick snappy movement irrespective of the knob 25 by reason of the keyway 23 being of greater width than the key lor lug 22, and thus eliminate arcing at the contacts as will be readily understood.

he spring 28 is preferably a fiat spring having its outer end secured in a boss or projection 29 formed on the annular ring 13 of the base 5 and having its portion inward of the boss 29 provided with the bend 27 intermediate of its ends and having its inner end provided with an outwardly bent or directed portion 30; The operation of the spring 4is substantially as follows.

When one of the edges 16 passes slightly beyond the bend 27 of the spring, see Figure 3, the tension exerted thereon will cause the wheel 15 to receive a quick further movement in its normal direction of rotation, to either engage or disengage the movable contacts 9 with the Xed contacts 8 and prevent leaving the switch member in an intermediate position. 15 under action of the spring 2S continues until the portion 31 of thespring between the bend- 27 and the end 30 bridges the distance between the two adjacent edges 1,6, as best shown in Figure l, when the end 30 will then lie against the rear face or side of the adjacent edge 16, and have its extreme edge or end engage behind a tooth or projection 32 formed thereon, thus preventing the ret* rograde movement of the wheel 15.

The movable contacts 9 are secured to the under side of the star wheel 15 and insulated from the bearing member 19 by a washer'33, and are preferably formed'in two pieces resiliently urged together and in the shape of a U', having its bend positioned to first engage with the fixed contacts when moved to complete the circuit and the members forming the movable contacts are slightly bent or flared in opposite directions at the bend thereof to insure the guiding of the fixed `contacts between the two strips forming the movable contacts. The movable contacts 9 are also of suiiicient length and so positioned on the wheel 15 that when one ofthe edges 16 is just engaged with the bend 2'( of the This movement of the wheel l spring 28 that the contacts 9 willA either be in a position about to engage or disengage the fixed contacts 8 or in a position so that when the spring 28 comes into play the make or break will be instantaneous and thus eliminate danger from arcing. The slight are which may occur at the contacts 8 and 9 will not in any way damage the switch as the contacts are insulated by the air space surrounding the same.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the invention is of very simple construction and is well adapted for the purpose described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A quick make and break switch, comprising a stationary contact, a star wheel, a contact knife carried by the star wheel and engageable with the contact, means for rotating the star wheel and permitting alimited independent movement of the wheel, and yielding means engaging the star wheel at two independent points for holding said wheel in predetermined positions of rest.

2. A quick make and break switch, comprising a stationarycontact, a star wheel having angular recesses between its points, a Contact knife carried by the star wheel and engageable with the contact, means for rotating the star wheel and permitting a limited independent movement of the wheel, and a spring means of angular form engaging the star `wheel at one point during the movement of the wheel and engaging the wheel at two independent points for holding said wheel in predetermined positions of rest.

3. A quick make and break switch, comprising iaving angular recesses between its points, a contact knife carried by the star wheel and engageable with the contact, means for rotating the 'star wheel and permitting a limited independent movement of the wheel, and a spring member of angular form engaging the star wheel at one point during the movement of the wheel and for automatically moving said wheel to predetermined positions of rest, said spring member engaging the wheel at two independent points when said `wheel is in a predetermined position of rest.

4. Aquick make and break switch, comprising' a stationary contact, a star wheel having angular recesses between its points and a stop shoulder adjacent each point, ya contact knife carried by the star wheel and e'ngageable with the stationary contact, a handle for rotating the star wheel and permitting a limited independent movement of the wheel, and a spring member of angular form `'engaging Vthe star wheel and engaging the wheel at two independent points and including one of the stop shoulders when said wheel is in a predetermined position of rest.

5j. A quick make and break switch, coma stationary contact,'a star wheel prising a stationary Contact, a star wheel having angular recesses between. its points and a stop shoulder adjacent each point, a Contact knife carried by the star Wheel and engageable with the stationary Contact, a. shaft upon Which the star Wheel is journaled and has a limited independent movement thereon, a handle for turning the shaft and permitting said limited movement of the Wheel, and a Spring member of angular form engaging the star Wheel at one point during the turning of the Wheel by the shaft and for turning said Wheel independently of the sha-ft, said spring member engaging the Wheel at two independent points and including. one of the stop shoulders when said Wheel is in a predetermined position of rest.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES W. HDOUBLER. 

